From rector in Rome to bishop in England, Stephen Wang embraces new mission of truth and love

Following Pope Leo XIV’s announcement in July, Father Stephen Wang became the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton on Oct. 19 at the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Philip Howard in England.

The milestone event at the cathedral in West Sussex gathered key figures across the community — from Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the papal nuncio to Great Britain, to local priests, religious orders, and lay Catholics — alongside representatives from neighboring Christian churches as well as the Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu traditions, all standing together to mark this new chapter for the diocese.

Reflecting on his personal faith journey, Wang recalled converting to Catholicism decades prior in Harpenden, England. He shared how an icon given to him by a friend during his youth — inscribed with St. Paul’s reassurance that the Lord is faithful and will bring all things to fulfillment — has continually guided his vocation.

When addressing the congregation after the ordination Mass, Wang announced his episcopal motto as “Veritas in Caritate,” from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “to speak the truth in love.” He said this phrase has inspired his whole priesthood — from his teenage conversion to his time in London when he launched the faith formation program “Sycamore” in 2014 and his appointment in Rome as rector of the Venerable English College (VEC).

Wang has a deep, multilayered history with the VEC in Rome, having spent time there both as a student and later returning as its rector. 

From 1992 to 1997, he completed his initial priestly formation at the seminary, earning a licentiate in philosophy from the college alongside a licentiate in fundamental theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. 

Decades later, he returned to Rome to serve as rector of the VEC from 2021 until 2026, where he oversaw the preparation and formation of the next generation of Catholic priests before stepping down upon his new appointment as the bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

In his closing statement, newly ordained Wang said: “It’s not about us, it’s about God, his faithfulness, his love, a beauty that catches us by surprise.”